The German passenger car market saw a 13% increase in sales in April as supply bottlenecks eased and demand for battery-electric vehicles continued to climb. According to data from the KBA motor transport authority, registrations reached 202,947.
Sales of full-electric cars surged by 34% to 29,740, despite a significant reduction in government subsidies for battery-electric vehicles in January. These electric cars captured a market share of 14.7%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrid car registrations fell by 46% to a 5.8% share, following the discontinuation of government incentives for these vehicles in January.
Gasoline cars remained the most popular choice in Germany, with an 18% increase in sales and a 37.7% market share. Diesel sales witnessed a 2.4% rise, garnering a 17.8% share.
The VDIK importers association attributed the overall market growth to strong business fleet sales, which increased by 18%. The private market showed a modest 3% uptick, with the share of private registrations in the overall market dropping to 33% from 36%.
Tesla’s German registrations skyrocketed by 272% to 2,420, securing a 1.2% share. Other monthly winners included Alfa Romeo with a 163% increase, Mini with a 70% jump, Dacia with a 54% rise, and Seat with a 53% growth. Leading the pack, Volkswagen brand’s volume rose by 24%, while Mercedes-Benz and Audi saw increases of 27% and 25%, respectively. BMW sales grew by 4.4%, and Skoda, the fifth best-selling brand, saw a 33% boost.
Among automakers that experienced a decline in sales were Mitsubishi (down 61%), Fiat (down 21%), Ford (down 19%), Toyota (down 18%), Citroen (down 16%), and Renault (down 14%).
From January to April, German sales increased by 7.9% to a total of 869,765. The country’s VDA auto industry association has raised its 2023 growth forecast to 4% from a previous estimate of 2%, citing improvements in factory output as chip shortages and other supply issues begin to resolve. Car sales in Germany are now expected to reach 2.8 million units in 2023, up from the previously predicted 2.7 million units, according to VDA.
